Chatbots are currently seen as one of the next big things in web design, and a harbinger of the coming age of AI automation. When we hear stories of robots taking our jobs in the future we tend to think of humanoid robots like those featured in the movie AI.

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Rise of the robots?

Chatbots, however, are nothing more than lines of code, with preprogrammed responses to common queries. While the more advanced can learn to some extent, most are simply a more advanced version of a self-serve FAQ site that could be built by any Newport web designer. At least for the moment. Some believe that the age of the AI assistant is almost at hand.

Chatbots can do more than talk and take messages though. Companies are using them on websites and embedded in social media to respond to requests for information, carry out transactions, place and cancel orders, book appointments and handle returns, taking over from traditional customer service agents. This, when done right, can drastically lower a business’s costs, and provide a 24-hour service – something millennials are growing to expect.

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Brain training for chatbots

But if you’ve gone to the effort of building your business a chatbot (and if you need help doing this talk to Netcentrics Newport & Cardiff web design agency), how do you check it’s performing effectively?

Google has once again stepped into the breach with a new free service called Chatbase. Chatbase incorporates a REST API that you can connect to a wide variety of chatbots, allowing the service to pull data from them. Unlike traditional analytics programmes, the software has to interact with a far more dynamic set of interactions. Unlike previous projects, Google is playing the role of trailblazer here rather than digital disrupter, as there are few other genuine competitors on the market at the moment.

Once installed Chatbase can monitor the number of sessions, what percentage of these have been handled effectively and how long it took. Transcripts are also available, and Chatbase can analyse these to pull out repeated words in order to help you to continue to develop your chatbot’s responses based on what your customers are saying.

The console is very similar in style terms to Google’s other products like Analytics and Adwords, so users will feel right at home with it.

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Control components provide the logic in an electrical panel, which often means deciding the sequence in which events happen. They can be simple, operating an on/off function, or very complex, providing a sophisticated control logic.

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Simple electrical control components

There are single components that do just one thing, such as timers. There are also control relays, which work to switch items on or off electrically without human intervention.

The relay has an electrical coil, a spring, and two electrical contacts – one is stationary, and one moves. When the coil is not energised, the spring keeps the moving contact away from the stationary contact and this keeps the switch open (off). In its energised state, the coil has a magnetic field. This draws the movable electric contact over to the stationary one to close the switch and allow the current to pass through (on).

The technical name for this is a normally open one pole single throw (1PST) relay. Each set of contacts is a pole, with control relays usually having between one and four.

Relays are simple and reliable controls that are used in many applications, such as computers, telephone exchanges and automated control systems. The ‘relay’ lies in the fact that the action is relayed from the first component (the control circuit) to the second component (the load circuit). Timing relays have timers that can control when the contacts open or close, switching a device on or off at set intervals.

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More complex electrical controls

Assemble a collection of control components such as timers and relays into one package, make them programmable, and you have a programmable logic controller (PLC). Using a PLC has some advantages over using a number of separate electrical components; for example, they are flexible and can be smaller.

On the other hand, sourcing electrical control components through OSMElectrical or another supplier individually can be cheaper, does not require a PC for programming, and does not need a skilled operator.

Control relays can be sourced with a number of handy options, such as indicators to show the state of the coil and contacts. This can be useful in testing and maintenance.

In the end, the beauty of electrical controls is that you can use basic components to make the control as simple or as complex as required.

Your website landing pages have one single goal, and that is to capture leads. Any visitor who arrives at one of your landing pages should already be interested and motivated to find out more, subscribe to your newsletter or finalise a sale.

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According to an article in Marketing Land, increasing the number of landing pages on your website can improve your sales figures by as much as 50 percent, so it’s worth taking the time and trouble to review your website and see where improvements could be made.

Keep to just one CTA (call to action)

Don’t confuse visitors with more than one CTA. The landing page should contain one single CTA that is clear and as concise as possible. If visitors have to search for the right button to click, then your message isn’t clear enough.

Keep it simple

Lots of images combined with too many colours and different font sizes send a muddled message to visitors. They have arrived on your landing page with the will to explore your goods or services, so provide them with information presented in a meaningful way that they can absorb quickly.

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Understand exactly what your landing page is for

Unless you are clear in your own mind about the message of your landing page, then your visitors almost certainly won’t be. You’ll almost certainly need professional advice, which should be readily available – for example, Website Express are a Drupal Design Agency with experience of leading brainstorming sessions for large organisations.

Make headlines simple and straightforward

Your landing page headline should encourage the visitor to consider the benefits of taking the next step and clicking on the CTA button, so make it as appealing as you possibly can. Once again, your WordPress or Drupal design agency can help you with this.

Include customer testimonials

In an age when everyone is a reviewer, we all like to see what others think of a product or service before we make a commitment to buy. Use genuine testimonials from previous satisfied clients – and if you don’t have any, ask previous customers to provide you with one.

Be selective about the information you ask for

Don’t ask visitors to part with too much information in your CTA. Asking for a name and an email address is usually sufficient.

Christmas is a busy time for most, but for business owners it can be an incredibly stressful time of year. Not only do they have their own family Christmas to think about, they have to ensure that their business runs smoothly over the festive period or that it is in a position to close for the seasonal break. With so much to do and remember, here are a few tips on how to prepare your phone system for the Christmas holidays, all of which can be achieved with a VoIP phone system.

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Write scripts

Think about refreshing your audio message script to make it suitable for the time of year, providing information on your opening hours and who to contact in an emergency. Why not add some festive cheer too and add a special Christmas message to your loyal customers? If you are stuck for ideas on Christmas greeting messages, visit  https://www.bourncreative.com/holiday-card-messages-for-small-businesses/ for some creative suggestions.

Update your voicemail

Same as above, be sure to check and update your voicemail message before leaving the office, especially if you are taking some extra annual leave around the holidays. Tell your callers when you expect to be back in the office and responding to queries and give them an alternative contact to speak to if required. With a personal voicemail, you can make your audio message much warmer and tailor it to your specific customers or audience.

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Divert your calls

If you manage a team and it makes no difference whether customers speak to you or one of your employees, you can easily divert your calls when you leave the office so that others can pick up where you left off. Alternatively, if you are planning on going on leave but want to bring a particular case to a close, you can have calls diverted to your mobile.

Contact a wholesale az VOIP termination company to discuss installation options for your company (https://www.idtexpress.com) and have these features available for you to use before Christmas.

Most features come as standard with VoIP bundles, however, diverted calls may incur a small additional cost. As a business owner or supervisor, you might deem the additional cost worthwhile if it means that your team can keep on working throughout the festive period from home or somewhere abroad.

Taking shortcuts on your website is not a good idea. If you go to meet a potential client or attend a job interview, you’ll get suited and booted and aim to make an excellent first impression. Think of your website as a constant job interview for your business. Every time a visitor lands on your homepage, they are sussing you out, seeing if you’re up to the job and making decisions about you. With this in mind, your website should definitely have the following elements:

1, A Clear Vision

Present your visitors with a concise, clear picture of what you’re all about. It should be easy to understand and easy to find. This might seem obvious but it’s a common mistake for many business websites. The visitor needs to know immediately what you do, who you do it for and how you do it differently to your competitors.

2, Link Up

To foster increased customer engagement, make links between your site and your social media presence. Position your social media buttons clearly on your homepage, in a recognised place where visitors can access them straight away without having to search for them. Headers or footers are common places to find these buttons. The better the engagement, the more people will see your content and click back to your website on a regular basis.

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3, Contact Details

You’d be amazed at how many businesses make contact details near impossible to find. If your customers want tech support or customer service, make it easy for them. Such information should ideally be in the footer section of your main homepage. Ensure you include an email address, postal address and telephone number. For every with every aspect of your site, think about contacting web designers in Reading like http://www.starwebinnovations.co.uk/

4, A Blog

A blog is an ideal way of adding high quality content to your website. It encourages people to stop and read the content, is a good way to get visitors to subscribe and highlight links to your website or deeper pages. It helps to start a brand relationship between you and your customers, showing you to be an authority in your field and offering helpful information.

5, Customer Testimonials

If someone has been singing your praises, then share it with the world. Almost 80% of customers place trust in online reviews and testimonials as much as hearing recommendations from their friends and relatives. Testimonials are a great way to show people that they can trust your brand, which is even more important to get across in the digital world where there is no face-to-face contact between you and your customer.

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6, Original Images

Stock images are too common, although convenient to use. They won’t do anything to promote your unique brand image or engage with your visitors. It’s always better to select original, good quality images that are personal to your business. Don’t have pictures that are too small or low-resolution either, this will look unprofessional. High-quality personal images of team members or your products or premises, for example are a better choice for making a connection with your visitors.